A visit to "The Beach" has suddenly brightened the postseason hopes for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team.

The Rainbow Warriors improved their record to 15-12 with a 93-78 victory at Long Beach State Saturday.

The 'Bows have three regular-season games remaining, and then the Western Athletic Conference Tournament at Las Cruces, N.M.

By Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace's calculations, the 'Bows will need to string together four consecutive victories to earn consideration for the National Invitation Tournament.

"We still have a shot," Wallace said. "But we have to win all three (regular-season games), and then at least one more in the (WAC) Tournament."

The three remaining regular-season games are: at San Jose State Saturday, followed by home games against Idaho March 1, and Boise State March 3.

"We feel like those are three games we can win, and we should win," Hawai'i senior co-captain Matt Lojeski said. "That gets us to 18 (wins), and we'll have some momentum going into the WAC Tournament. We're just looking at numbers now, trying to get as many wins as we can to help us."

In 2003, Hawai'i got invited to the NIT with an 18-11 record; in 2004, the 'Bows got in with a 19-11 record.

Wallace said the victory at Long Beach State should help. The 49ers are in first place in the Big West Conference, and Hawai'i became the first visiting team to win in the Walter Pyramid this season.

"That's a quality win," Wallace said. "And we've got some others — Hofstra, Nebraska, Utah State."

But the 'Bows also have been inconsistent, so Wallace said it will be important for them to close the season strong.

On last week's road trip, for example, Hawai'i had its season-low for points in a 58-50 loss at Utah State. Three nights later, the 'Bows scored their season-high in the 93-78 win over Long Beach State.

"The way this team is, they can lose a game, and then come right back the next day in practice and you'd never know they just lost," Wallace said. "They just work hard to get it back."

After a road loss at lowly Idaho last month, Wallace said he thought the 'Bows had no chance at the NIT.

"We look good, then we don't look good, then we look good again," he said. "We've got that see-saw thing going. We just need to be more consistent, and this is our last chance."

If Hawai'i stumbles in any of the remaining regular-season games, the only other option would be to win three games in three days at the WAC Tournament to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

"You have Nevada and New Mexico State at the top," Wallace said. "But Hawai'i, Boise State and Utah State ... any of those teams has the potential to win the tournament."

'BOWS WILL STICK WITH SAME STARTING LINEUP

Despite a breakout game from reserve forward Riley Luettgerodt Saturday, Wallace said he plans to stay with his usual "big" starting lineup of Matt Gibson and Matt Lojeski at guards, Bobby Nash and P.J. Owsley at forwards, and Ahmet Gueye at center.

Luettgerodt, a 6-foot-5 junior, came off the bench to get 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the victory at Long Beach State.

He came in for Owsley — a 6-8 power forward who has started 19 consecutive games — and played the entire second half.

"Long Beach was so much smaller and quicker, we had to go with that lineup," Wallace said. "If we see teams that are small like that again, we'll use it again. But against most teams, we need our big guys in there."

NOTES

The 'Bows returned to Honolulu yesterday afternoon. They will be here for four nights before leaving again for San Jose, Calif., Thursday. Hawai'i returns to WAC action Saturday at San Jose State.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.